Cord-gutter



(No Model.)

J. PUSEY.

CORD CUTTER.

No. 601,278. Patented Mar. 29,1898.

INVENTOH THE NORRIS PETERS co moro urucn \VASHINGI'DN. I:v c,

WITNESSES:

UNI TEDv STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

JosHuA PUSEY, OF NEAR LIMA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CORD-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,278, dated March 29, 1898.

Application filed January 7, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA PUSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing near Lima, in Middletown township, county of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Cord- Outters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing the device as applied to a cord ready for use; Fig. 2, a medial vertical section, as on line a: m, Fig. 1.

' This invention relates to twine or cord cutting devices which are adapted to be applied to the cord and be retained thereon by frictional means, but may be readily slid along the cord bythe hand, a free-end of the cord always being left projecting from the device after each cutting off.

.The object of my invention is to produce such a cord-cutter which shall be simple in construction, readily and cheaplymade, easily applied to the cord,'and efficient in operation.

It consists, essentially, of an elongated strip of steel or the like, having a cutting edge or edges at its upper'end and an aperture adjacent to and beyond the said cutting edge, whereby the cord is prevented from coming into contact with said, edge, together with frictional means, such as a spring, connected to or integral with said strip for retaining the device upon the cord,yet permittingthe same to be easily slid upon said cord by the hand in either direction.

The invention consists also in certain special features hereinafter explained and duly pointed out.

I have shown in the annexed drawings and shall now describe -that form of the invention which I consider the best, simplest, and cheapest.

Referring to the annexed drawings, A is strip of steel or like suitable elastic material bent over'upon itself to form two superposed jaws or limbs a a with a swell or enlargement a at the lower end. The upper end of one of these limbs 01. is bent over at right angles to and projects beyond the free end of the underlying limb a, and this bent part a is provided with an aperture of. The part a a the device.

Serial No. 618,250. (No model.)

at the opposite or lower end has also a guide aperture a therein. The upper part of the limb a is considerably narrower than the adjacentpart of limb a. In the end of the latter I make a cutting edge or edges 0.", Fig. 1, preferably V-shaped, as shown. I usually provide one of these cutting edges on each side of the narrow part of the limb a so that one of the same will always be on the side most convenient to the person using the device.

The foregoing describes the construction of Its operation and the manner of using it are as follows:

The jaws or limbs da which are kept normally in contact for some part of their length by their elasticity, are separated sufficiently, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, by pressing back the free end of the bent part of, and the cord 0 from a ball or spool b is passed through the aperture 0, and then,

through the aperture a at the lower end. The jaws being now released return to the normal position, and the cord will be friction- 1 ally held between them, yet the stress of the spring, which need be but slight, allowing the device to be easily shifted by the hand along the cord.

When it is desired to use a portion of the cord, the device is held by one hand while a sufficient length of the cord is drawn through, whereupon thatpart of the cord is brought up over and hard against the cutting edge a, as indicated by the dotted lines in'Fig. 1, and is severed thereby.

It is'obvious that there will always be left an end of the cord 0 projecting from the lower end of the device, the length of which end will always be at least equal to the distance from the aperture in the lower end to the cutting edge.

In tying up a package the free end of the cord may be grasped in the hand and the tying up be proceeded with, the cords slipping through the hand and the device, the latter being stopped by the hand being against the lower end or swell a as the cord slips through. The guideway a? at the upper .end obviates any danger of the cord above or beyond the same from being severed by coming against the cutting edge as the cord slips through.

There is an advantage in using V-shaped cutting edges and located as shown, as when they become dull they may be sharpened by a suitably-shaped file or grinder, and as they become worn away by the sharpening they, so to say, follow down the limb a near the side of the narrowed part of the limb (t Thus the cutter will last for a long time.

It will be observed that inthe construction shown the device is integralthat is, made from a single strip or blade of elastic steel. lVhile an elongated strip of steel or the like provided with a cutting edge or edges at the upper end and guide-apertures, together with a spring or its equivalent for securing suitable friction on the cord, is essential, such spring or other frictional means for holding the device upon the cord may be combined with the strip in any suitable manner. The guiding eifect may also be accomplished in various ways.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A cord-cutting device comprising two separate spring-connected, superposed strips of steel or the like of diiferent widths; the wider strip having a cutting edge in its free end, and the free end of the narrow strip eX- tending beyond the line of said cutting edge, and having a cord-receiving aperture beyond the line of said edge; the construction being such as described whereby the device is frictionally held upon the cord and its cutting edge is prevented from coming into contact with the cord when the device is slid along the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. A cord-cutting device consisting of two separable,spring-connected superposed strips of steel or the like, one wider than the other, the wider one of which strips is provided at its upper end with a cutting edge, and the narrow one of said strips is provided at its upper end with a part, or projection, that extends substantially at right angles past the meeting line of the strips, which projection is provided with a cord-guidin g aperture, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A cord-cutter consisting of an integral strip of spring-steel bent over upon itself, one of the limbs whereof is provided with a cutting edge adjacent to its free end, and the free end of the other limb, projecting beyond the first limb bent over at right angles to and past the free end of the last-mentioned limb; said bent-over portion being provided with a cord-guiding aperture, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed mysignature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSIIUA PUSEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. NOLAN, WALTER C. PUsEY. 

